TF Dires Shorts
by Dragon with a Shotgun
Summary: Adventures of the River Pack and Mountain Pack after they unite. (Story suggestions are appreciated!)
1. Consequences

**TF Dires**

By

Dragon with a Shotgun

**This was kind of inspired by antubis0's comic **_**childhood 14**_**. It's a cute and funny comic, recommended to read. And could someone please tell antubis0 on Deviantart that I want to continue little stories like this? Thanks! Also, if you want to make any suggestions to any short TF Dires stories like this, let me know! I might be able to whip something up!**

**Consequences **

The forest was quiet and peaceful during the morning, birds chirping in the trees to their mates, insects clicking and whistling, and frogs by the river chirping and croaking. In the middle of spring, the flowers dotted the fields, and the trees were now lush and green, full of life again. The air was sweet of blossoms from varieties of plants. Dew droplets rested on the plants and spider webs that dotted the brush, giving the scene a sparkling shine as the sun peeked through the trees overhead. Since the dire packs united, no danger had been noticed and probably wouldn't for a very long time. It was the perfect day for the three newest members of the pack to take a nap in the den.

The three mentioned pups, Firefly, Flash, and Stride, all lay in a pile in the back of the den, hidden by the darkness of the cool but cozy den. The den provided them comfort from the sometimes bustling outside world, and let them rest in security. The adults passed by often, checking on the pups regularly since their parents, Bumblebee and Stream, were on a small hunting expedition together. They had left only a little while ago, and wouldn't be back until noon. The two had been hard at keeping their pups safe and happy, but now being parents, they didn't have the time to themselves as much anymore. So even a small hunt was relieving enough to take a break from parenting.

One adult was now approaching the den, his nose twitching as he sniffed around the area. His alert blue eyes searched the area, checking for any signs that other wolves not from their pack, or even vermin such as raccoons or coyotes, had not come to the den and harmed the pups. His ears listened for any sounds that indicated a threat, but they found none. He sighed and lowered his head towards the den entrance, please to see that the pups were safe and sound asleep.

Ironhide was the most frequent visitor to this den. When he had first met the pups, he felt that particular bond similar to what he had formed with Bumblebee. But in a way, this was special because they were his youngling's pups. He knew that he shouldn't call Bumblebee his 'youngling' anymore, him being an adult now and sharing his life with his mate. Bumblebee wasn't a pup anymore, but a strong young wolf with a new reason to keep fighting in this world, not that there was much fighting to be done anymore.

Ironhide gazed at his grandpups with a soft smile feeling a bit of pride swelling up in his heart. He was indeed proud to be their grandfather, and it wouldn't have been this way if he hadn't had taken Bumblebee in when he was a pup. Those had been such harsh and depressing times in the beginning… But now, after everything that the pack has been through in the past years, the world had come to a somewhat peace. The packs united, there were no quarrels, and it was safer to start families within the packs. This was why Bumblebee and Stream wanted to have pups while the time was right, and it had even been rumored that Megatron and Riverrun were planning to have pups in the near future. Optimus and Elita were taking their time, waiting until they felt it was right for the both of them. Optimus did not want to sire pups until he knew that for sure the world was safe enough for them to live in, especially because he was the alpha of this pack, he did not want to put his pups in jeopardy if there was risk of danger in the near future.

The dark grey wolf sighed once again and turned away to make one last circle around the den area before heading back to the others. He trotted off, following the path that lie through the forest and stretched around the area and back to the other dens. When he disappeared, one of the pups peeped open an eye, and when he saw that the adult was gone, he grinned and looked at his siblings.

"Hey! Wake up! He's gone." Flash whispered before he sat up and shook his fur away of leaves.

Firefly lifted her head with a smile and was about to get up when she realized that Stride had actually fallen asleep on her back. She frowned and bumped his chin with her elbow.

"Stride, wake up!" she growled, and when he only moaned in reply, she pushed up and he rolled off sleepily onto his side beside her. Stride opened his eyes meekly and yawned, his mouth opening wide to show his growing puppy teeth before he licked his muzzle and looked up at his siblings with a tired expression.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" he asked, "What if Grandpa Ironhide finds out? He would tell Mum and Dad! We'll be in trouble!"

Flash made a 'phht' noise and waved a paw at him. "Ah, he won't find out, and neither will Mom and Dad!" He trotted to the den entrance, Firefly close behind him with her tail wiggling in excitement. She might have been the runt, but she was just as determined as Flash to carry out this little mission. "Besides, we'll come back before they even realized that we had left."

Stride wore a worried face as he trailed after them. They had already padded out of the den and were a few tail-lengths away from the den. "B-But what if-,"

"Are you coming or not, Stride?" Flash turned his head to look at his younger brother, waiting for him to make his decision now and not a moment later.

Stride hesitated at the entrance, looking around for a moment for any sign of an adult. Then he sighed and he crept out of the den, almost as if it had been his first time out. "Yeah…" he said. "I'm coming… But only because I know that if you get caught, you will be mad at me if I didn't take the same blame!"

He couldn't help it. He was just so worried about being in trouble. Over the past two months the pups had grown considerably, but were still quite small. Firefly had bulked up a little, and was able to hold her own against the brothers when wrestling and was even more dominant in the litter. But Stride had grown much more dependent on others, losing that rowdy edge that he had when he was in his prime teething stage. Now he was shyer about making his own decisions and had become lightly insecure. Flash remained the same, the most dominant, oldest, and the most confident one in the litter. He was a little daredevil, always the one to come up with the plans and carry them out.

The three pups traveled down the path for a little while towards the way Ironhide had gone. Ironhide would circle around the area and then leave off towards the other dens. He wouldn't come back down the same trail again until he made his next pass, which would give the pups an advantage. But just to be safe, they hurried down the trail to get a better distance from the den.

"So… where are we going?" Stride asked timidly, his ears standing up to pick up any sounds of an approaching adult.

Flash shrugged as he trotted over an ant pile, looking at the tiny insects as they began to crawl out of the top of the mound. "I dunno, wherever the trail takes us I guess."

Stride stopped walking. "You mean that you don't know where we are going?"

Flash looked back at him, raising his tail slightly. "I do! Well… sorta. I heard from a pair of foxes a while back that the river was full of fish this part of the year, hundreds of them, and I wanted to check it out!"

"Just… fish?" Firefly arched the fur above her right eye and frowned at him. "That's all you wanted to see? Fish?"

"Not just any fish. They called it a Salmon Run." Flash said quickly.

Firefly let out a snort and grinned at him in a disbelieving way. "Salmon run? You mean that fish can run?"

Flash shook laughed and looked at her and wagged his blue tail. "Apparently these do!"

"Doesn't sound too interesting to me…" Stride commented in a mumble, sitting down and looking at his brother and sister.

Firefly sat down as well and nodded. "As much as I want to see a fish actually run, I don't think that it's true. Fire don't have legs! So how could they run?"

Flash growled in agitation and pushed past his sister and began walking down the trail. "Look, are you two coming with me or not?"

Firefly and Stride shot each other curious expressions, but then Firefly shrugged before trotting after the oldest of the litter, Stride hesitantly following her hurriedly. They had only been to the river a few times because their father, Bumblebee, had taken them on their first hiking expedition. Stream, their mother, had said that they had been too young to go too far from the den, being the protective mother, but Bumblebee insisted that they needed to learn as soon as possible. But he could never argue with Stream, with her being the dominant one over the pups in the time being. So the pups never got much time to explore the world outside of the den. The rest of the pack, especially their mother, was still wary about letting the pups out to wander on their own until they got a bit bigger. It was just instinct.

The trio padded down the trail, not talking much and if they did it was no more than a whisper. They were careful to keep quiet as to not alert the adults that they were away from the den, especially when they weren't supposed to be. It was such a pretty day, welcoming to the youngsters as if it was screaming for them to be explored. The birds chirping made the pups question if it was them they were calling to. The rustling leaves made them wonder what other animals could be lurking within the shadows, but in a chilling exciting way rather than frightening. Flash led the way, looking around in fascination and excitement. Firefly was awe as well, her bright blue eyes beaming at the dew drops on the leaves of plants, the sparkling spider webs that dotted the grass here and there, and the birds that flew through the trees. Stride, although still hesitant and regretful that they had left the den, was also caught in the state of interest as he gazed up at the unbelievably tall trees of the forest. The sun shining through the top branches gave the forest a heavenly glow, and he could feel his tensed shoulders relax as he followed his siblings.

"See?" Flash said without looking back at them. "This isn't so bad! The river shouldn't be that far."

"How do you know? We haven't been there many times, and I don't even remember how to get there." Stride said meekly, absent-mindedly stating his own opinion.

Firefly was sniffing a kind of flower-like plant, shaking her head when she found that it didn't hold the most pleasant of scents. When she got the scent out of her nose, she smiled crookedly back at Stride. "We're the River Pack, silly! The territory runs along the river, remember?"

Stride blinked. "Oh yeah…"

"Come on," Flash suddenly piped, quickening his pace. "I think I hear the river!"

"Really? We're already there?" Firefly grinned and ran after him as he walked off the trail and into the woods, ducking under some bushes and fallen tree limbs.

Stride suddenly felt hesitant again and he stopped at the edge of the trail. He looked at the ground in front of his yellow paws, and then up at the trees again. In the section of woods that his Flash and Firefly had gone in, the trees were too thick for the sunlight to completely penetrate through. The woods seemed darker and spookier than before, and he felt chills go down his spine to the tip of his tail. The trail seemed safer and more comforting than going into a place that he wasn't familiar with, especially when his parents weren't there to nudge him forward. He whimpered a little, pacing at the edge of the trail before he looked out towards his siblings.

"Guys, don't you think we should take the trail to the river? I mean… do you even know where you are going?" he called, looking around as he expected Ironhide to pop out at any moment.

His siblings were too caught up in their adventure that they hadn't even heard him. He groaned loudly in frustration and fumbled with his paws. But as he watched his brother and sister almost disappear into the darkness of the forest, he found that maybe it was better to stick with them. He rushed into the woods, tripping over a twig at first in panic, but finally reaching the two as they were approaching the light on the other side of the wood.

"Guys, wait up!" he called, but in a panic he didn't see his brother in front of him and he ran right into the older pup. The two yelped as they tumbled down the steep hill and right at the edge of the river's bank with Flash lying on top of Stride's back, both in a daze and confused. Firefly burst out laughing and was making her way down the small drop, sliding down next to her brothers.

"Ugh… what did you do that for?" The male white and blue pup groaned, shaking his head and frowning at his younger brother.

The yellow and brown pup took a moment to comprehend what happened before answering. "Sorry… I didn't see where you were…" He then grunted. "Get off, you're heavy!"

"Are you calling me fat?" Flash glared at Stride, and when the younger pup was about to answer with a no, Firefly spoke up.

"Guys, we're here!" she barked happily as she ran to the bank and began walking in the water. The male pups struggled with each other for a brief moment before pushing each other off. Then they ran after her and all of them were laughing in excitement.

"Wow, I forgot how big the river was!" Flash commented, wagging his tail and looking at his reflection.

Stride looked around at the plants. They were much greener around the water, and more birds and other small creatures lived by the water. Squirrels had built nests along the tree-line by the river, and birds were dropping in often to catch tiny minnows and water bugs. He could even see a raccoon way down the river catching a small red fish. When he thought of fish, he looked back at the running waters. Indeed he could see many fish swimming along, a crazy swarm of them and making the water look almost blood color. They were big and red with green-brown heads and tails, and he could see that some of them had quite large teeth. They were swimming against the current.

"Hey, what's that?" Firefly suddenly asked, looking towards down the bank not too far from them. Further down the same side of the bank was a flopping fish that looked like one of the ones in the water. The pups grew curious and were already running towards the flopping creature. When the got to it, it looked around at seemingly nothing with large eyes that weren't focused on anything. The fish was quite large, and when it jumped, the pups jumped back.

"Is it poisonous?" Stride asked, looking at his older brother.

Flash stared at the fish for a moment in uncertainty, but then he crept closer it before the other two could think that he was scared. He sniffed at it, and he circled it a few times before finally smiling.

"It's one of those fish that those foxes were talking about!" he beamed energetically, wagging his tail in excitement as he examined the red fish.

Firefly frowned and lowered her head to look at it more closely. "This is a salmon? But I thought that you said it could run!"

Stride huffed. "Yeah! So why isn't it?"

Flash rolled his eyes. "I don't know, why don't you go ask that stupid raccoon?"

"Oh, stop it, will ya? Even if it can't run, it's still cool! I wonder if it tastes good?" Firefly studied the salmon in interest.

"Maybe it tastes like mouse?" Stride suggested thoughtfully, sitting next to her and tilting his head at the creature.

"Maybe it tastes like pheasant!" Flash chimed in, smiling brightly and looking around. "Well, whatever it tastes like, that raccoon seems to like them."

The pups looked at the raccoon that was further down the river. It had already eaten its first fish and was not watching for another to come close enough for it to snatch it up. There was another raccoon further down from the first one, gnawing on its own salmon tail. Birds were pecking at the remains of the fish that the raccoons had dropped while eating, and there was an eagle overhead carrying one off.

"I think a log of animals like the fish." Stride pointed out as he watched eagle fly off. When he looked back at the fish, it had stopped flopping around and was not just sitting there opening and closing it mouth. He felt sorry for the fish in a way, but interested in another.

"Well," Stride said loudly. "Let's not sit here wondering. Let's see what it tastes like!"

Firefly nodded enthusiastically and the two crept closer to the salmon cautiously. Stride tilted his head, deciding that he'd let them try it first before he made a move to take a bite. Flash nibbled at its side fin, making sure that it wasn't going to move anymore. When he saw that it was too weak to struggle, he pounced on the salmon and began to chew at its scales, trying to get to the meat underneath. Firefly followed his lead and was tearing at its tail. They continued this for a while until Firefly suddenly tore a piece of flesh and a bunch of small orange-looking beads poured out of the back end of the salmon.

"Ewe! What is that?!" Flash gasped as he jumped up away from the salmon.

Stride crept closer and sniffed at the beads and nudged the pile with his nose. "I think they're… eggs!"

"Eggs? But I thought that they were white and hard." Flash huffed as he padded closer and eyed the strange little orange eggs. Indeed the pups had never seen an egg other than a bird's. But whenever their parents brought back quail or pheasant eggs, it was a real treat and the pups loved them. But these eggs looked rather unappealing and strange. They were even squish when touched, rather than hard like the shell of a bird's egg.

"Stride, you try them!" Flash commanded, raising his tail.

Stride frowned. "Why do I have to eat them?!"

"Because you know what they are!" Flash stuck out his tongue for good measure, earning a growl from his younger brother.

"Oh… fine…" Stride looked hesitantly down at the eggs. They didn't look anything that you'd eat, but he'd seen the raccoon licking the beads up a moment ago. He swallowed and slowly lowered his head and quickly flicked out his tongue to capture some of the orange drops. He licked his lips after letting them slid down his throat, and he looked back at the other two, who studied him curiously and in anticipation. The eggs were actually not that bad, but they were slimy and they squished in his mouth. But over all they were pretty tasty.

"They're not that bad!" he smiled brightly, and immediately the other two stuck their snouts towards the eggs and took their own mouthfuls. When their faces lit up in content, they all began feasting on the dead salmon. The meat was tender and bright red, and it appealed to their hungry stomachs, which they hadn't noticed until they had thought about eating. The fish was big enough to serve them all equally, and they ate happily without any disturbances. Once the fish was more than halfway gone, the pups held off and were licking themselves clean of the blood and eggs.

All the while, they hadn't noticed a pair of brown eyes watching over them, looking at them at first curiously, but then the expression in them turned deadly and the focused fully on the pups as thy were licking off the remains of the fish.

"I wonder when Mum and Dad will be back." Stride wondered aloud, licking his paw before shaking his head.

Firefly shrugged. "I dunno. How long have we been gone?"

Stride shook his head. "Not too long. Look, the sun's still not that high over the mountain."

The sun had risen higher, but it was still morning as the sun was still close to the mountains. The air was humid, but still cool enough and birds still flew about searching for food. Well, they were. Not that the pups were quiet again, they had all noticed that the forest had grown quiet, unusually quiet. The birds had disappeared and the raccoons had retreated to the woods suddenly. Even the fish seemed a bit wary.

"Jeez, I wonder what's go everybody spooked…" Flash commented as he scratched at his ear with his hind leg agitatedly.

Firefly looked at him with the beginnings of a smile, but as her eyes traveled over the gigantic shadow that covered them all in darkness, her ears suddenly went flat and her eyes widened in horror. Stride followed her gaze and he was sent into a wave of trembling. The two could hardly speak, and when Flash noticed how struck they were, he frowned at them.

"What's gotten into you guys?" He asked, and then he looked down and blinked. "And why is it so dark?"

"F-Fl… F-Flash…?" Firefly stuttered horribly, her whole body racked by her shaking and her eyes never leaving what she was staring at. Stride was crouched behind her, his body so low to the ground that he could have probably sunk into the earth.

Flash tilted his head at them in curiosity, but followed their gaze either way. He was suddenly locking gazes with the brown eyes of a giant, hungry, brown bear that stood ten times their height over them on its hind legs. Its beady brown eyes stared them down, hungry and aggressive, examining the three as they were suddenly all in shock and fear. Fear wasn't even the word. The bear's mouth hung open slightly, showing its incredibly large teeth, and when it breathed a puff of white air would eject from its nose and mouth.

"G-G…G-Guys…?" Stride whimpered in a whisper, his fur flattened to make him look smaller. "W-What… d-do we d-do?"

The other two were speechless, though. All three pups were struck paralyzed in fright, shaking and unable to take their eyes off of the bear. The bear growled, and huffed in and out.

Suddenly, Stride was trying to run, but not having good traction, he pushed his brother and sister, sending them both falling before they too began to scramble to their feet and run. They screamed as they dashed as fast as their little legs could carry them. The bear roared and gave into instinct to chase. It dropped down onto all fours and began galloping after the trio of pups. The pups could hear its thundering paws hit the ground, making the ground shake as they tried to run for their lives.

"MOMMY!" Flash suddenly screeched, as did the other pups join in to call any of the pack. Terror gripped them as they fled, and they could already hear the bear coming closer to them by each step.

"DADDY! MOMMY! HELP!" Firefly cried pitifully, choking on air as she did so as she tucked her tail and dared to look back. The bear seemed to be right over them, and she sobbed as she tried to stay with her brothers.

Stride was too panicked to call for help, or even speak at all. He'd forgotten how to, and all he could do was choke and cry out in the sharp whimpers a distressed pup. Up ahead of them was bunch of logs piled up from having fallen over during a storm some weeks before. The trio could hear the bear huffing after them, could picture its face. They scrambled and dived into the pile of logs and rubble, desperation taking over as they crawled to the back of the logs, the large fallen trees forming a kind of protective barrier as the bear was suddenly at the mound. It began slashing at the logs, its long sharp claws sending dead bark flying. The pups could smell its hot breath as it tried to stick its snout in the small gaps, and the bear even tried to reach in a paw to attempt to pull one of the youngsters out. Firefly huddled in the middle of the two male pups, closing her eyes and not daring to look again. Stride and Flash stared up in horror and terror as the bear snarled at them. What were they going to do? These logs wouldn't hold off the bear for much longer, and the three could already feel the timber around them shift as the bear began to pound the pile with its front paws.

The bear was sniffing at them, testing the air. It could almost reach them. If it could get the top log out of the way, then it could reach the pups. But just as it was trying to push off the top log, a flash of grey caught its eye and it looked up to see only the gleam of white fangs before an incredibly horrid pain struck its left eye. The bear roared out loudly, lashing out at whatever had taken its eye. It eye was gone, blood dripping from the place where it once was.

The brown bear staggered back until it got a clear view of what had hurt it. A large dark grey wolf was standing in front of the pile of rubble, staring at the bear with menacing eyes and blood dripping from its mouth. Its bright blue eyes never left the bear's as it snarled at the much larger carnivore.

Before the bear knew it, another pain shot up from its right hind leg. It looked back to see a yellow wolf, latching onto the brown bear's leg. Bumblebee tore at the bear's fur, shaking his head back and forth before he let go and jumped back to avoid its large claws that lashed out. Ironhide charged forward again snapping at it and jumping back again. Optimus appeared as well, lunging and closing his sharp fangs around the bear's ear and using his bulky weight to pull the bear's head down to the ground hard. Jazz and the twins rushed from the woods, also joining in. Ratchet and Stream rushed towards the logs, desperate to see the pups' condition.

"Children!" Stream cried out in sheer relief to see them all alive.

The pups all looked up, and their watery eyes widened as they all scrambled out of the mess of torn wood and rubble. They piled one by one out of the mound and rushed to their mother, licking at her muzzle and crowding under her paws.

"Mommy!"

"We're so sorry we left the den we won't ever do it again we promise!"

"Momma we're so sorry!"

"Mommy, we only wanted to see the running salmon!"

"The bear came out of nowhere, it tried to eat us!"

Despite her urge to nuzzle and be with them, Stream ushered them towards the woods. "Not now! Go! Hurry!" The pups wasted no time and they scurried across the ground and hurried back into the woods where the adults had come. Ratchet turned and watched the fray, the bear trying to lash out at the pack but to no avail due to its missing eye. He waited until Stream was already in the woods before hurrying towards the fight, snarling and doing his own part in warding off the angry brown bear.

Finally the bear let out a pitiful groan and turned tail. It ran down the bank of the river until it came to a more shallow part of the river and it crossed. The wolves followed to ensure that the bear wouldn't turn back and fight until it had cleared the meadow on the other side of the river.

The pack, exhausted but unharmed, looked to each other panting. Bumblebee and Ironhide were already running to the dens.

At the den, the pups were huddled with their mother, nuzzling up to her and relishing in her warmth and the safety of their home. Streak sat beside his older sister, watching the pups whimper as they stayed in little balls near Stream's side. Streak had been told to stay at the den since he was still a bit young, but he was more than grateful when his sister arrived with the pups safe and sound.

There was the sound of panting at the entrance, and Bumblebee was suddenly crawling into the den, touching noses with his mate and lying next to her so that the pups were between the parents. Streak saw how Bumblebee was bristled up, his fur standing on end. He took this as a chance to leave the parents be, and he crept out of the den to give them their space. He didn't want to be in the middle of something while they were probably still worked up about what happened.

Bumblebee and Stream were both disappointed in their pups, and they knew that they needed to scold them. But when the two gazed down at the youngsters as they curled up next to their parents, the mates knew that the pups had learned their lesson. Flash lay closest to Stream, with Stride leaned against his side and Firefly against Bumblebee's side. Bumblebee was licking her head, as was Stream tending to the boys.

"How are they?"

Bumblebee sighed as he looked up at a worried Ironhide poking his head into the den. "They're alright. Thank Primus…"

Ironhide nodded in agreement and sighed deeply in guilt. "Yes, they are quite lucky… I should have been watching more closely…"

Bumblebee shook his head and smiled reassuringly at his old guardian. "No, it was not your fault. Do not blame yourself." He looked down at the litter, feeling his heart sink a little as he watched them fall into a deep and much needed sleep.

"Is the bear gone for good?" Stream asked suddenly, turning her attention from her young and letting her gaze fall on Ironhide.

He nodded. "Yes, the twins and Jazz ran after the bear and drove it further to be safe. It won't come back."

Stream nodded and rested her head down next to the pups, making sure to keep them secure from the outside world. Bumblebee watched as Ironhide left, and he looked at his mate with glossy eyes.

"Love?" he spoke softly, and when she looked at him, he could see worry in her glossy blue eyes. "They are alright. You do not have to worry now."

Stream let out a kind of whine mixed with a sigh. "But I do. Bumblebee, they were almost killed! I can't just relax now."

"Darling, they are pups. They will get into trouble every now and then, but… please don't hurt yourself by worrying too much. They are safe right now, and that is all that matters."

"Thank goodness we returned home in time…" Stream fretted, resting her head between Bumblebee's paws with her ears flattened. Bumblebee licked the top of her head and rested his chin between her ears. He let out a strained and exhausted sigh.

He looked at his young as they slept. Firefly almost blended in with his own fur, being the same color he was. The boys huddled next to each other against their mother. He had felt a wave of sheer relief to know that they were okay and alive. He had almost lost it when he ran in to aid Ironhide with the bear, and if given the chance he could have torn out the bear's other eye. But he knew that it was only anger talking. Right now, he needed to calm down and be with his family. The pups did disobey and had left the den, but after what they had been through, now wasn't the time for a lecture. Now was the time to let everybody feel well again, and feel safe and secure.


	2. Lessons of Life

**TF Dires**

By

Dragon with a Shotgun

**Lessons of Life**

"Ouch! Stop it, it hurts!" a squeal erupted from the den area, making the mother wolf raise her head from her paws and look toward her playing pups as they tossed and tumbled around in the dirt, growling and chewing on each other. She let out a tired sigh, giving them a soft frown as Flash shook Stride's ears in his teeth.

"Flash, don't be so rough. You know better than that." Stream said sternly, making the oldest pup give her a pout.

"I'm not hurting him, Mom! He's just a whiny baby!"

"I am not!" Stride snapped, showing his small, sharp teeth as his older male sibling. Flash growled back at him, and it seemed that they were about to be at it again.

Stream growled at the two as she narrowed her bright blue eyes, and when she spoke there was annoyance laced in every word. "Both of you stop this! If you want to chew on something, chew on something besides each other."

Flash huffed and walked over to the brush, pulling out a stick that was stuck out from the wild berry bushes. "At least a stick won't whine and cry…" he mumbled as he began to teeth on the end of it, sending a glare to his brother as he crunched on the dead bark.

Stride flattened his ears and sent a death glare back before he turned his attention to his painfully itching ears, which had scratches from his brother's sharp needle teeth. Their mother let out a quick puff of air and rested her head back down. She knew that her pups were teething, and that this was a phase in their life. She remembered when Streak was in his teething days. He'd always used to chew on her ears and tail, and she'd scold him for it.

And speaking of the little devil himself, she saw the young blue and white male trotting beside her mate, Bumblebee. They seemed to be having a good time, talking about something. Of what she caught, they were having a conversation over the best hunting places. Streak, still being young, was still learning to hunt. He was already able to catch small game, but during the big game hunts he'd always fall behind because he was less experienced than the adults. Stream smiled in relief, remembering that it was Bumblebee's turn to take care of the pups.

Bumblebee's tail swished back and forth as he saw his mate, and when he approached her he lowered his head and nuzzled her cheek, his ears flattened and his eyes shining. Stream gave him a questioning expression as she knew that something was up, seeing how he was acting so… cute and too friendly for it to be normal behavior.

He grinned. "Don't you remember, Stream? Today, I am taking the pups on their first hunting trip!"

Stream's eyes widened and she flattened her ears in response. Oh yes… Their first hunt… Well, technically it wasn't their first hunt. It was just a trail walk, and their father was going to let the pups watch the other pack members hunt and let them see beyond the dens without the worry of being attacked again. But even with the knowledge that Bumblebee would be with the pups, Stream still worried that something would happen. Anything could, and would, happen at the most unexpected of times, and usually at the worst of times. She almost considered saying that they needed to wait until they were older. Then she remembered how much this meant to the pups. She knew that this was something that the pups had been waiting for, and that they were anxious about going.

"Daddy!"

The parents looked to see the three pups bounding towards them with large smiles on their faces, their eyes wide in excitement. They skidded and began to shower their father in happy licks and nuzzles, already ranting on about the hunting trip and asking about when they were going to go. Bumblebee looked to Stream with bright blue eyes and she sighed in defeat.

"Go on…" she said softly as she nudged Stride and Bumblebee smiled, licked her muzzle, and he ushered the pups forward and they disappeared over the hill towards the trail. Stream sighed, and rested her head back onto her paws.

"Don't worry so much, dear. They'll be perfectly fine."

Stream lifted her head and smiled softly, halfheartedly, when she saw a pink female wolf standing above her, a smile on her own face. Elita was a sweet female, helping Stream care for her pups sometimes, knowing that she was younger than her. They'd have female talks, conversations about how males behaved and how this pack was lucky to have females. Elita and Stream had become really close friends.

"I know… but I just can't help but worry. You know?" she sighed, crossing her paws.

Elita chuckled, settling next to her and licking her forehead and ear. "I know. You are just being a mother, as you should be. You are doing an excellent job, dear."

Stream suddenly perked her ears and a smile spread across her muzzle. "How come you and Optimus haven't spoken about having puppies? I bet you and her would make beautiful young!"

Elita was taken aback by the question and a bewildered expression was slapped onto her face as she stared at the younger female for a moment. Stream, feeling a bit embarrassed about asking now, lowered her head and rested her chin on her paws again in slight shame. Elita thought for a moment, and after considering the question, she smiled and answered in an amused tone.

"Well… we have, actually…"

Stream looked up with her big blue eyes. "Really?"

Elita nodded. "Yes, but not really a deep conversation, seeing how I believe that it made Optimus… um… How should I put it? Flustered?"

Stream giggled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Of course. Even for a Prime, the subject about mating is an awkward one."

"But only because they're males." Elita sighed, shaking her head slowly in a knowing fashion with a dull expression. "Honestly, you can never have an adult conversation with males about mating anymore. They can't seem to grasp the concept."

The younger female nodded with a chuckle. She caught a glimpse of Prowl and Jazz mumbling to each other near Prowl's den. Jazz wore a happier expression while Prowl was calm and unamused by whatever Jazz was talking about. She smiled.

"Yeah. Did he take it seriously?"

"Take what seriously?" Elita replied.

Stream tilted her head in a curious manner. "When you spoke with him about having pups. What was his reaction?"

Elita recalled the conversation and make a comical troubled expression. "Well, he was tripping over his words. I think that he was embarrassed about me asking about it."

"Hmph…" Stream huffed, smiling crookedly.

Bumblebee led his pups down the trail until he caught up with Optimus, who was standing with Ironhide, Ratchet, Hound, the Twins, and Streak. Bumblebee touched noses with Optimus in greeting, smiling and nodding to the others.

"Be careful out there, Optimus." Bumblebee said softly, flattening his ears when Optimus gave the top of his head a reassuring lick.

"Do not worry. We will be fine. Watch your pups closely. As for safety precautions, I am sending Ratchet with you." The Prime motioned with a tilted of his head and Ratchet came forward, rubbing his head against Ironhide's side before continuing to the group of younger wolves. The pups greeted Ratchet with wagging tails and flattened ears, and Bumblebee smiled and bumped his head under the older wolf's muzzle.

"Alright, let's move." Optimus ordered, and he led the hunting pack down the trail, their tails waving in the air and barking in excitement with being able to hunt again. Bumblebee and Ratchet looked to each other before motioning the pups to move, leading them after the pack. They continued on for a long while, not hurrying to catch up with the pack but instead staying behind to give the pack some time to track down the herd.

"So where are they hunting this time?" Bumblebee said, trotting beside the older wolf, checking on the pups behind them.

Ratchet flattened his ears and shook his head to get rid of a mosquito. "I believe they are heading down to the field. Remember when they brought down that bull elk?" When Bumblebee nodded, he nodded in return. "That's where they're going."

Bumblebee nodded again in understanding and slowed to a stop when Ratchet stopped. The old wolf looked towards an old trail that wasn't used often, one that cut through the woods and brought them to the river. The field that the pack was going to hunt at ran along the river, and this trail led to the river.

"This way. We'll get there faster if we hurry." Ratchet turned and trotted down the trail. Bumblebee looked down at his pups, who looked back up at him. He smiled and nudged them in front of him.

"Let's go. Follow him."

They looked at each other, but did as told and ran after the old wolf as fast as their shorter legs could carry them. Bumblebee hurried after them, making sure that they were keeping up with Ratchet.

Meanwhile, Optimus and the pack were running down the trail an now arriving at the field. They stayed in the shadows of the trees and shrubs, observing the prey that was scattered in the field. The herd of elk was consisting of younger animals than usual, but that only meant that there were probably easier kills. Most of these elk were at least a year old and older. Not all of them were fully adults. Optimus searched through the herd, his blue piercing eyes locking onto a smaller calf. It had lost its spots, but it mustn't have been that long ago.

The Prime looked to his pack members. Ironhide nodded and accompanied Hound as they crept off to circle around. The Twins hurried off the opposite direction. He then looked to Streak, who had a desperate hopeful look in his eyes. Optimus smiled.

"Stay close." Then he turned and studied the herd once more. Streak grinned and lowered his body, ready to bold like a spring. He was already excited, and he almost couldn't control himself. There was a long silence between the wolves, all of them not uttering a word. They all knew what to do. It was going to be a quick clean kill, no mistakes needed to be made. That was why Optimus decided that Streak was to be with him. The pup wasn't yet fast enough to keep up with the rest of them, and he knew that Ironhide had no patience when it came to hunting and the Twins wouldn't handle the situation maturely if the youngster was to accidently ruin the hunt.

Not far away, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and the three pups were now arriving to the field. Flash grew eager and impatient, and he was already fixing to step out into the field. But Bumblebee snatched him by the tip of his tail and dragged him back into the brush. When the oldest pup looked up at him with questioning disappointed eyes, Bumblebee smiled softly.

"A good hunter is silent and doesn't alert the prey. Now shush!" he licked the pup's head, and Flash sighed and looked through the leaves. He, Firefly, and Stride peered through the brush and searched the shrubs for the other pack members, and Firefly grinned.

"There's Ironhide!" she whispered happily, pointing with her paw towards across the field.

Stride was in awe. "Look at all of that elk! We could feast if they catch them!"

"Yeah!" cheered Flash quietly. "We'd never go hungry again!"

Bumblebee chuckled and shook his head as he gazed down at his pups. "We mustn't kill the whole herd. This is one of the few herds that live in this region, and we must do what we can to survive on what is only needed. We must leave cows to produce offspring to create the next generation of elk to hunt."

The pups looked at each other, but before any could speak Ratchet growled softly. "Hush! They are beginning."

And he was right. Out of the brush Ironhide and Hound came from the right and the Twins came from the left of the herd. The elk cows and young scattered in a panic before they all regrouped and began rushing through the field. The wolves began to close in, the Twins intersecting through the elk group to separate the younger elk. Ironhide and Hound widened their stride and separated, spotting the calf and making sure to keep the mother away.

Optimus watched the herd edge closer and closer, and finally when he saw that the calf was a good distance away from the herd, he lunged from the grass and met up with the tail of the herd, his stride wide and his tail swaying to keep balance as he ran alongside the elk. Streak sprinted after him, taking as large steps as he could, huffing as he tried to keep up with the alpha.

The other pack members saw the forest ahead of the herd and picked up their pace, hurrying to the front of the elk and veering left. They needed to keep the herd in the field in order to make a better kill without the danger of dodging trees. The elk cows led the calves towards the left at a sharp angle. The adult wolves met the pace fine, but Streak didn't expect the sudden change of direction and he slid on his paws and went tumbling.

Bumblebee's eyes widened and he flattened his ears. "Not again…" he muttered.

Ratchet sighed. "Kid's gotta learn to make those turns."

"He's gonna make it, ain't he?" Flash asked worriedly, looking up at his father.

Bumblebee smiled and nodded as reassuringly as he could. "Yeah, he will… Oh! Optimus is fixing to make the kill!"

The pups turned their attention to the Prime, who was now running beside the calf that had been separated from the herd. The male wolf jumped alongside the young elk and grabbed hold of the hair on its neck, using his weight to pull the youngster down and onto the ground with a hard thud. Moments later, the calf was dead with bloody teeth marks on its neck.

The rest of the pack was slowing and approaching Optimus, who smiled and walked towards them, touching noses and wagging tails and barking in celebration. But then the Prime looked towards the other side of the field, and he sighed in disappointment. He had hoped so badly that Streak would help make the kill this time, but only found that the youngster hadn't made it. Streak was padding towards them, his head hanging low and his tail tucked. When the alpha looked closer, he could see a tear slipping from the pup's eye.

"Aw… Streak…" he sighed, walking over to the younger male and lowering his head. Streak didn't look up at him, and flattened his ears in shame.

"I failed… again…" he muttered, and Optimus licked the male on the head, trying to comfort him by also pressing his body against the pup's side.

"There, there… You'll get it next time…"

Streak sighed heavily and shrugged, and Optimus nudged him in the shoulder with his muzzle to reassure him. The youngster smiled weakly up at him, but he could tell it wasn't a true smile. He couldn't blame the young wolf. He'd tried so hard the past few times hunting with the pack, but every time something would go wrong and he would not succeed.

"Optimus?" Streak suddenly said, looking up at him.

Optimus looked down at him with a soft expression. "Yes?"

"What's wrong with me? Why can't I hunt?"

Optimus shook his head. "You are still young and learning, Streak. Hunting takes time to accomplish, and you must only keep trying until you succeed."

The older wolf's words comforted him a bit, even if it was only a little bit. But Streak showed a small smile and he matched his pace with Optimus' as they approached the rest of the pack. Bumblebee had led his pups to the others with Ratchet beside him. The pups were laughing and giggling as they told how they saw everything to the other adults.

"And then you went w_hoosh _and then the elk almost kicked you!" Flash was saying, wagging his tail and his front paws sprawled as he looked up at Ironhide.

"Yeah! That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Stride piped and he jumped up and down.

"Not to mention that kill Optimus made! Did you see how hard that calf went down? That was awesome!"

Hound then smiled at them and lowered his head. "But there is one thing you should not forget, pups." When they looked at him curiously, he continued. "You must honor the prey and show it respect. It was a living thing, and you must be courteous to it."

"Even after its dead?" Firefly questioned, tilting her head.

"What he means is that the animal deserves respect for the life it is going to give us." Bumblebee said.

"Oh!" the pups said in union, but before anyone could say anything else, a shrill howl echoed in the air, making everybody jump. It sounded distressed and troubled, scared even. Optimus' eyes widened when he realized who it belonged to.

"Come on, we will come back for the prey later!" He sprinted towards the dens in haste while Ironhide grabbed up Flash, who yelped in surprise and House picked up Stride and Bumblebee grabbed up Firefly and they all rushed after the Prime to the dens.

When they finally got back to the dens, they were greeted by a frightened Riverrun and a stern but worried Megatron standing next to each other with the rest of their pack behind them. Optimus approached his brother, but suddenly noticed something in Riverrun's jaws. It was a little light grey ball with charcoal colored streaks down its back and over its eyes. When he looked closer, he realized that it was a pup. It was barely breathing, though, and he could hear it wheezing. Megatron was holding a pup as well, but it was in better shape, crying out and whimpering as an instinct. That pup was darker grey with darker grey markings, almost identical to Megatron.

Megatron flattened his ears and gazed at his brother. "We need your help… Our pup… She's not breathing…"

At that moment, Optimus had never seen such a frightened look in his brother's eyes in his life.

**I know... Cliffhanger! I thought... I should throw in something new... A mix-up of "Who's going to learn the lesson? Or what is the losson?" I actually don't know where this is going lead, because I'm writing off the top of my head to keep from forgetting anything... so... part two will be up soon. Be patient! **


	3. Lessons of Life Part 2

**TF Dires**

By

Dragon with a Shotgun

**Lessons of Life: Part Two**

Megatron paced impatiently back and forth in front of the den that Ratchet had led Riverrun to. He never took his wide crimson eyes off the ground in front of him, his tail swaying anxiously. His steps were quick and choppy, and he didn't run but a few tail-lengths before turning right back around and repeating. His mate and Ratchet had been in the den for a long time, and he was desperate to know what was going on, or at least if the pup was alright, or even alive at all. His heart was racing, pounding against his ribcage like an angered prisoner in a cell. His ears flattened, cutting off some of the oddly sharp sounds of the forest to try to calm himself. His jaw was clenched, like he was closed to snarling. But one emotion stood out in his features. Fear.

Yes, the alpha of the Mountain Pack, Megatron, was feeling fear. But it wasn't just any fear, it was agony. He was dying to know, pleading for so, if his newly born pup was going to live. The little female, with lighter fur than her brother, had not even opened her eyes, and there was the possibility that she would never see the colors of the world, never see the happiness that it could hold, never see the family that would take care of her… His body shivered in anxiety. He let out a frustrated sound that was almost a cross between a whine and a growl. He shook his head and glared at the sky. Was Primus going to let his pup die? Was he going to take his new daughter's life away from him before she could have a chance to live? What was the point in that? What reasons would Primus have to take her away? To cause him misery? He knew that he had done some horrid things in his life, but in the process of him trying to make it all up, he was going to lose what he had created? Hadn't he gone through enough without losing one of his most loved possessions, his daughter?

As the grey wolf paced uneasily back and forth in front of the den, from a few tail-lengths away a certain tall blue and red wolf stood with his head hung slightly low, his ears turned back in a sympathetic expression. Optimus had never seen such a look in his brother before, and it unsettled him to see him like this. Megatron was the dominant pack leader, strong and fierce. This was not the same wolf that Optimus once knew as an enemy. This was a new father, one who was going to probably lose a pup. Optimus had been watching Megatron pace for the longest of times, and had never seen a wolf so disturbed by anything. It was only heard of that a wolf could catch a certain disease that made him go mad, but this wasn't any disease. This was Megatron being a new father, unexperienced just as the Prime was.

"Brother," Optimus finally spoke through a sigh, taking small steps towards the pacing wolf. "Please do not do this. There is still hope."

Megatron used every ounce of his strength to stop moving, and was hit with the now strange sudden feeling of being still. But he shook his head to rid away the dizziness and he looked to his sibling with the cloudiest eyes that Optimus had seen as an emotion, full of fatigue and worry. They were filled with… possibly tears, if he was correct. They held an uneasy gaze that didn't look natural for the Mountain Pack alpha.

"How can I sit still, Optimus?" Megatron said in a low tone that was laced with exhaustion, confusion suddenly showing in his glowing red eyes. "I have never felt this way before… Why is that? Am I sick, brother?"

Optimus offered a small smile, not of amusement, but of reassurance. "No, you are not. Megatron, it is normal to feel such things when your loved ones are threatened."

Megatron shook his head slowly, his eyes showing doubt. "I do not know what to do, Optimus. This is something that… I feel is actually hurting me… I'm…"

Optimus tilted and lowered his head slightly, a soft concern look on his face as he heard the male's voice trail off. "What is it, Megatron?"

Megatron lowered his gaze, uncertainty showing in the way he looked away. He stood there, silent for a moment to consider speaking again. His eyes were dull, many emotions flickering in them as thoughts ran through his mind. He took in a deep breath then, and he let it out slowly before looking up at his brother.

"I am scared…" he said softly, almost not audible but clear to Optimus' ears.

The Prime touched the darker wolf's nose with his, and for a moment Megatron was unsure of showing some kind of affection back, since it was still new to him. He only stood there, stiff for a moment, but then as a tear began to descend from his eye, he risked his emotions and pushed his muzzle into Optimus' neck fur, closing his eyes tightly. Optimus' blue eyes widened for a moment, shocked at how his normally strict and stern brother would be so soft and emotionally hurt all of the sudden.

Megatron shut everything out and focused on trying to soothe his mind. He couldn't believe what was happening, and he felt so alone in this since he could do nothing. He and Riverrun were hoping so badly to have a family, with young pups to call their own. But knowing that there was a chance that his young pup might die was a paining thought that made his heart feel as though it was being constricted. Feeling his heart once again hurt, he gritted his teeth and pushed his face deeper into the red and blue wolf's fur.

He felt so strange doing this. It was odd to feel his brother's fur against his own in such an embrace, but it was so warm and inviting, yet so unfamiliar. Yes, he'd done this with Riverrun and enjoyed it, but this… it was new to him to share comfort with his brother, especially after everything that he'd done to him. When he was young and being raised by Shockwave, he'd always wondered what it was like to be with his brother again. After that time he thought that he was dead… But after so long, he felt unsure about the feelings that he was being hit with. But now that some of these feelings sunk in, he felt that he enjoyed the softness of his brother's presence. Optimus was so gentle, caring, and kind despite all that Megatron had done to him. He wondered how Optimus could possibly forgive him for all the wrong that he had done.

Optimus stood there, hesitantly resting his chin on top of his brother's head. He blinked slowly, feeling the same as Megatron. The embrace was awkward, but yet also in a way comforting and relieving. It had been so long since he'd had a brother, since either of them had a brother. It seemed to calm them both, soothing Megatron's worries only slightly and giving Optimus a sense of sibling care.

Megatron then opened his eyes abruptly and cleared his throat, backing away and keeping his gaze off of Optimus' with his ears flattened. Optimus tilted his head, and smiled ever so slightly. Megatron looked at him and saw the look that the Prime was wearing, and he glared at him.

"Say a word about this to anyone…" he warned.

Optimus nodded. "I won't utter a word."

"Megatron!" Ratchet suddenly called, making both wolves jump in surprise. Megatron spun around and was already leaning down towards the hole, almost touching noses with Ratchet when the old wolf was sticking his head out of the burrow.

"She wants to see you." the old wolf spoke softly.

Megatron frowned. "And the pup? Is she well?"

Ratchet sighed and stepped out of the den. He looked Megatron in the eye, showing a kind of dread in his features that made the younger male feel the pang in his heart again. He felt his own dread creeping into him, and he flattened his ears.

Ratchet spoke in a soft stern tone. "The pup will live." Megatron felt a wave of relief wash over him and he let out a long sigh. But then the older wolf continued. "But the pup almost choked on pieces of the placenta that had gotten stuck in its throat."

Megatron frowned. "But how? She had given birth to the pups a few days ago."

"Yes," Ratchet nodded. "But the pups were born too early, and they are still not strong. The pieces must have been stuck in its throat, but not enough to choke it until its lungs became stronger." Megatron was silent for a moment, and the older wolf sighed. "Riverrun told me that she was having trouble with the birthing process."

"She told me the same when I came into the den." The younger wolf nodded.

"I examined the little female pup, and I saw that one of its hind legs will probably not be as strong as the others."

Megatron raised his head and gave Ratchet a quizzical look. "And that means…?"

Ratchet frowned at him with serious but yet concerned eyes. "There is a chance that, when this pup is grown, it will not be able to run as fast, which means it probably will not be able to hunt properly. It will be crippled."

Megatron's eyes widened and for a while he did not speak. His pup may be crippled? Was that what the old wolf was talking about? Even if so, he still felt his heart grow easy at the information that his pup would live. But still, the thought of her not going to be able to do some things a normal wolf would be able to made him saddened. Optimus saw this in his brother's eyes, and he nudged his shoulder, making him jerk himself from his thoughts.

"Go see her," the Prime said softly.

Megatron nodded and he turned away towards the den. He lowered his head as he entered, leaving his brother and the old wolf outside. His bright red eyes had to adjust for a moment, but soon he could see the silhouette of his mate lying at the back of the den, licking her whimpering pups between her paws. When she heard his paw steps, she lifted her sky blue orbs to meet his, a small but sure smile on painting itself across her face.

"Megatron," she whispered, her voice filled with joy and relief, making him smile in return.

"Ratchet told me about the female…" he sighed, crouching next to her.

She nodded, letting out a quiet sigh. "Yes, it is a shame… But she will live. That is all that matters."

The two touched noses, and he lied down next to her, his eyes observing the two pups almost lovingly. The little female huddled next to her mother, wriggling and whimpering, her eyes not even opened yet, her ears tucked to where she couldn't hear. Her fur looked like it had Riverrun's base color with Megatron's dark markings, and as he looked closer, he could see a distinctive solid blue dot above each eye. The little male had much darker grey fur, the same grey as Megatron's fur, with darker charcoal colored streaks and markings along his little body. Just like his sister, his eyes were sealed shut as well as his ears. The pups were so small, and he could hardly believe that he used to be that size when he was a newborn pup. But then he felt a pang in his heart yet again. He wondered if his mother would be proud of him… Yes, the thought came from out of the blue, for he hadn't thought about his mother for so long. He didn't even remember her name… He wondered what she would say to him right now, what she thought of her son now. But he hardly could remember her, only a blurry vision remained in his mind now.

"What are you thinking about?" Riverrun asked, gazing up at him with her curious eyes, a smile gracing her muzzle as he looked at her from his thoughts.

He shook his head slowly. "Nothing… I was just…" He looked down at the pups, and he smiled softly, unsurely. "I just don't know if I will be a good father."

She chuckled and pushed the top of her head under his chin. "You'll be a wonderful father, love. It will just take time to grow, to be used to parenting." She then sighed, a saddened look of her own replacing her smile. "I only wish that my mother and father could have seen us, and our pups."

Megatron's eyes held a small shocked look to them, as he suddenly felt guilty and angered with himself. He laid his head down on his paws, and he didn't make eye contact with her. She flattened her ears.

"I'm sorry… I… It's not your fault… Things happen in life and… you just made a wrong choice…" she said, her voice wavering a little towards the end. She had to admit, she dearly missed her parents, but despite that Megatron and his pack had killed them so long ago, she found that she couldn't blame him for it. It was part of life, for he didn't know her or her pack by that time. He didn't see the light until she was kept in his den for the amount of time that she was. She knew how Shockwave had raised Optimus, not only as a kind of son, but also a trained killer. Now that they had a family, and that the past was behind them, she didn't see a reason to reject him. He had just been shown a wrong way of life, a way of taking from others, just as from in Shockwave's stories that things had been taken from them.

"I just can't get over what I had done…" he said quietly. "What if… what if the pups, when they grow older, they began to question us? How I was before you and me became mates. They will reject me as a father if they know that their own pack had killed your..." he sighed as he couldn't finish the sentence.

Riverrun huffed, at first a depressed expression hidden in her eyes, but then she smiled at him. "Megatron, they will love you."

"I've never been good with pups…" he muttered, recalling the time when he had captured Bumblebee when he had been a pup. When he rolled his eyes to look at his mate, he saw a small smile on her face.

"What about Barricade?" she reminded. "And Blackout told me about you and Bonecrusher when you were young."

He suddenly lifted his head. "He told you about that?"

She chuckled again and nodded. "Megatron, you have had experience. But now it's more… personal, than those times. You will have more meaning to love these pups." She looked down at the two whimpering bundles of fur between her paws. "These pups are _yours_. Your next generation, your son and daughter."

He looked down at the pups, smiling a small smile.

"But promise me one thing," she said suddenly. He lifted his head and blinked at her curiously. When his eyes met hers, she smiled. "Don't bite the head off the first male that comes up to our daughter."

Megatron suddenly let out a laugh, shaking his head. "I can't make any promises."

She chuckled and pressed her muzzle against his chin, earning an affectionate smile from the male.

_One Month Later…_

"Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad…" the voices continued to nag at his sleepy mind as he began to wake from his sleep. Desperate to have a few more minutes of sleep, he flattened his ears and growled softly, placing a paw over his muzzle.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, DAAAD! Wake up!" a squeaky male voice wailed right in his ear, loud and desperate.

'Dad' groaned and turned his head away and tried to curl up, and his mate chuckled in amusement beside him, having been asleep only moments before until the pups woke her up as well. Megatron peeped open a red eye to look at her tiredly, but all the same a smile played on his muzzle. She gazed at him with her blue eyes, a smile of her own showing through the dimness of the den. But then the father was jolted fully awake when needle-sharp puppy teeth sunk into his ear. Yelping, he raised his head up, sending the dark-colored pup tumbling, but he just got back up and hurried back to him.

Megatron took a moment to let the slight pain settle before looking down. Both of the pups sat with their paws resting on his foreleg, their tails wagging, and their eyes big and shiny as they stared up at him. The dark-colored male pup had bright blue eyes like his mother, his markings showing more distinctively now. His fur was only a bit darker than his father's, the markings almost black. Even now being so young, he looked like he was going to be a big wolf when he grew up. It was just that certain look about him. His name was Metalcharger, Charger for short. His sister had lighter colored fur like Riverrun's with dark charcoal-colored markings similar to his own, but right above each eye was a solid blue dot. But her eyes were a bright red, shining happily at him as she and her brother looked up at their father. She wasn't too big, but she wasn't a runt either. She was a healthy pup despite her limp when she ran. Her name was Eclipse.

"What in the world is up with you two this morning?" Riverrun yawned softly, resting her head on Megatron's other leg and gazing at the pups in amusement.

The pups smiled at their mother gleefully, excitedly. Eclipse spoke first. "Daddy promised that he was gonna take us on a walk today!"

Their mother looked at Megatron with a sly smile. "Well, 'Daddy', you better go take them on that walk!"

Megatron sighed and yawned, making a kind of whining sound as he did so. He groaned as he pushed himself up onto his paws, stretching his front legs with his tail in the air, flattening his ears as he yawned again. The pups giggled and ran around excitedly. Megatron looked at his daughter. When she ran, her back leg would act in an odd way, going off course every now and then, jerking when she ran. She could move it, but she wasn't in complete control of it. But despite the leg, she could run just about as quickly as her brother, who she ran frolicked alongside with. The father couldn't help but smile with pride as he watched them scurrying about the den, giggling gleefully before running to their mother. She licked their heads, receiving tiny ones in return from each pup. Megatron crawled over to her and licked her muzzle, and she watched as he turned away to exit the den, the two pups very close behind.

Close enough behind to almost trip him as he crawled out of the den.

**I think I'm just gonna end it there… I liked the ending, reminded me slightly of The Lion King. I've been meaning to post this for a while, but I've just been so busy lately and every time I thought I was ready to post it, there was always an error (which there might still be one) or something just didn't seem right… I had a bit of trouble trying to come up with names for the pups… Well, hope you enjoyed it anyway! **


End file.
